PT Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Jakarta began to operate a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) or drilling machine today. The first machine will operate seven days for 24 hours.

Every day, it can drill up to 8 meters with 6.05 meters wide

Director of PT MRT Jakarta, Dono Boestami acknowledged that the machine will nonstop to operate and not make noise.

“Every day, it can drill up to 8 meters with 6.05 meters wide,” he said, on the sidelines of the inauguration of MRT drilling at Patung Pemuda,  Senayan, Monday (9/21).

According to him, the drilling is started from Patung Pemuda Senayan towards Setiabudi. It is targeted to finish in December 2016. “The second drilling is slated to be operated as soon as possible,” he stated.

The drilling was officially inaugurated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. He also named the machine with Antareja. Antareja is the eldest son of Wrekodara or Bimasena from Pandavas' family. It is hoped able to operate as tough as Antareja.

Its machine operational that is carried out by CP 104 and 105 (Senayan-Setiabudi) is SOWJ Joint Venture that consists of Shimizu, Obayashi, Wijaya Karya and Jaya Konstruksi. The next machine is preadicted to have a diameter of 6.7 meters with weighing 323 tons.